A Medina County Criminal Defense Attorney's View Of The Criminal Justice Process In Medina County
When one is charged with a crime in Medina County, it can be confusing. Attorney Daniel Gigiano, a Medina County criminal defense attorney, explains the procedures one may expect when charged with a misdemeanor of felony in Medina County.
WADSWORTH, Ohio, May 9, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- When one is charged with a crime in Medina County, it can cause a lot of anxiety over what to expect. Each hearing usually has a very specific purpose that is handled quickly. This means many hearings do not involve long discussions over the incident that led to the criminal charges. A Medina County criminal defense attorney can help.
Misdemeanors that do not start out in a Mayor's court, are heard in the municipal courts. These courts are known as the Medina Municipal Court, 135 North Elmwood Ave., Medina, Ohio 44256, and the Wadsworth Municipal Court, 120 Maple Street, Wadsworth, Ohio 44281. Some felonies may start out in the municipal courts, while other start in the Medina County Court of Common Pleas, but the bulk of a felony case will be heard in the Medina County Court of Common Pleas, 93 Public Square, Medina, Ohio 44256. Juvenile cases are heard in juvenile court in the same location as the common pleas court.
Cases commonly begin with the arraignment, which is where the accused is informed of the charges and potential penalties for the charges. Another early issue may be the bond hearing, where the judge sets the amount of money that must be posted for the accused to be released from jail. The municipal court has an informal pre-trial procedure, while the felony courts have a formal one. A pre-trial is a meeting between the criminal defense lawyer and the assistant prosecutor to plea bargain the case or discuss issues for trial. The judge may participate in this process. The trial may be to the court or by jury. Medina County courts usually order a pre-sentence investigation (PSI), which is an investigation conducted by the probation department to determine the facts of the case, and the social and criminal history of the defendant. This is followed by a sentencing hearing, which is a court hearing where the judge determines what punishment to hand out to the accused. A solid motion to suppress or acquittal can short-circuit this process in favor of the accused.
Attorney Daniel Gigiano has written extensively on criminal law issues. Some of his articles just simply explain the basics. Some articles arose out of complicated issues that Attorney Daniel Gigiano faced on behalf of his clients, and he felt people would be interested to learn about issues that can arise in some criminal law cases. Visit his Criminal Defense page to learn more.
These two articles are examples of the issues that often come up in criminal law cases: Ohio Jury Selection; and Police Limits On Searching Parked Cars.
Attorney Gigiano has been practicing criminal law since 1993, which includes over 45 jury trials to a verdict in criminal cases. Attorney Daniel Gigiano has been helping people with their criminal defense needs in Medina County Courts since 2000. When he started his own firm two years later, he continued to represent clients who have been charged with crimes in Medina County. The Medina County criminal justice system procedures described in this article are based upon his experience in representing clients in Medina County. Attorney Gigiano's office is located at 102 Main Street, Suite 200, Wadsworth, Ohio 44281 The firm can be reached at 330-336-3330.
SOURCE Daniel F. Gigiano, LPA
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